Phase one...and ol' man winter...

Let's say day one of junkin' was so successful,
we had to borrow Lories' trailer from the Junk Asylum
to haul it all home...

Oh yeah kids, she got some great stuff...!

Let me tell ya, the wheels were turnin' on these two
pickers, to strip or not to strip, you just can't second
guess the master minds at work.
Theresa and Craigsmith were both concocting their craft,
you could sense the wheels turning.
We walked into The Asylum and you hear Theresa
clear in the back yelling...
"Craigsmith come look at these chairs"...
it was great and so much fun!

Then, back to reality...as I was hoeing in the garden
this morning, I noticed frost damage on two of my
tomato plant...in all my years of gardening, this has
NEVER happened to my veggie garden!!!

...and it was only on my heirloom varieties.
This is something to ponder in the future or is
this years' weather just gonna be a booger???

But the cool crops are doing good, the red seedlings
in the back are the beets and a few leaves of the sno-peas,
but we need hot days and warmer nights for anything
to really start growing...GEESH!!!

As you can see, my spring plants are still not quite to peak
and my iris haven't even begun bloom...OK,
now I'm really ready for summer, bring on
the 90 degrees...K...!

Shop till we drop...

Oh yeah, let the games begin...after a grueling drive
from Brimfield in the rain, highway construction
and toll booths, shopping fools and partners in crime,
TOT and Craigsmith have finally made it to the farm!

Now these are the neighbors you like to have...
portable...LOL...
I love their new rig, so much room inside
and they can rest in comfort after a hard day
of shopping for inventory.
It sure beats sleeping on the cot...
I do have a spare bedroom, but it has been converted
to the dog grooming salon and the upstairs is one
big room, actually my whole house is a studio
and always a work in progress...

Even in my newly acquired back porch, much creative
thinking goes on out here, as the sun greets
another day in paradise...

as we prepare another day of scavenging for trash
ahhh...sweet trash in Iowa!
Aren't you just mad with envy...LOL!!!

Shadow Shot Sunday...Farm style...

Lavender bails leave minute fragrant shadows
on a wall at Sisters' Garden, playing 'long side farm relics,
it's a vision I never tire of...

Corbels, ceiling tin and industrial light fixtures
frame a newly painted picture frame,
the paint glues the fancy designs to the surface
allowing the old patina to last for ages more...

Utilitarian farm tables and their brother shadows,
have us pondering their purpose,
but ever so charming in a country sorta way!

Bright country greens...
yes ,we are starved for the color of green
here in the Nor'lunds and as our temps plummet again,
Spring still alludes in Iowa...

Ever hopeful though, as the leaves they are returning
to the trees and those warm days will return...

...and I'll have more tall(rooster)tales and adventures from my
micro farm in Iowa, as I seek the good life,
simplicity and solitude...
Have a great weekend friends at our weekly shadow day
you can join here if you wish...

NEWS FLASH...

He crows...
yup, my main flocker now struts his sex,
though it sounds like a scratched record with the
volume turned down, it's still a crow...I'm so proud!

Isn't he regal...this is his main squeeze, she follows him everywhere,
this is 'Goth'...Goth is named for a dear friend Kelly Aaron(Mosaics)
Goth is darker than the rest of the girls,
stays in the coop till everyone else is out, then she flies
through the door with the greatest of ease.

The gang...Goth on the left, Louis the 17th is on the far right,
alas poor Louis, I knew him well...

COCK A DOODLE DOOOOO............
(I'm easily amused)

Is it green with envy...or white...?

The previous owner left these half buried under a spreading cedar tree
in the back yard. Boy are these HEAVY - cast iron probably (magnetic),
and my guess is they weigh at least 50 pounds each. I'm going to
clean off the slap-dash paint job and try a real rust neutralizer
primer then (perhaps) a dark bronze paint. Wondering where I'm going
to put them - and what to grow. (Grinning). This is a bit of a 'junk'
switch for me - I'm more into electronic stuff - but these were crying
out for rescue. Where ever they originally came from they must have
cost a fortune. They are too 'neat' to leave lying half buried.

Any ideas from a pro?

--
ATB! Rusty
http://buchananskeep.blogspot.com/

OK ladies...I got this message from my
Canadian friend Rusty yesterday and he was wondering,
what ta do, what ta do...
Can you believe what a find,
everyone dreams of finding buried treasure,
but Rusty found the mother lode!!!
OK girls, what do you think he should do with them,
now remember, he's a guy and isn't really up
on this stuff, so be gentle with him...

I would personally drool all over this finish,
but would probably suggest he put some sort of clear sealer
to retain the finish and leave as is,
however, it is what it is, not everyone
is in our frame of mind and any of the finishes,
bronze, white or black will do...
so have fun Rusty...and go check out his blog, he has
the most amazing wildlife portraits from his
yard/sanctuary...
OK Rusty, can you see my many shades of green envy?!!!

PS...is it a coincidence that we call him Rusty...
just sayin'...ha!

A day at the spa...

The gang, Brandon in the front, are taking the day off to
powder their feathers, they've designated this
area to be the dust bowl...too cute!

While I busy myself with the main run,
they watch with curiosity...
all is finished except putting the wire cover on.

Hey Ma, this is cool, another place to eat!!!
This will protect during the day when I'm gone,
however, at night they will still be shut-ins
until I figger out what goes bump and crunch
in the night...
A light rain is falling, well needed I might add, my gardens
are needing watering to get things growing...
so a cloudy soap-making day in the works...on the farm!

Shadow Shot Sunday...won't you sit a spell...

The most fun thing about owning an antique biz,
is being able to bring home some new toys...
if it's been there a while, you can bring it home
and play with it here...fun huh!!!

This bench was heading to Sisters' Garden,
but it looked so cute here where I temporarily sat it,
that I decided it needed to sit a spell...
and especially since the chippy, burgundy paint on it
matched the color of the redbud tree...sweet!

The gardens at the pink shack are really starting to bloom,
FINALLY...
the bird houses all have tenants, the veggies are planted
and I even splurged and bought an apple tree,
I now have plums, apricots and a sweet Jonathan,
this was my Granny's fave, YUMMM,
for apple pies and applesauce, it even has beautiful
pick blossoms...oh, I'm a lucky girl...
as Spring is finally here, the birds are singing,
the sun is shining...
AND...
it's Shadow Shot Sunday...!
NUFF SAID!

Got junk...

My daughter the carpenter...
well they say the apple doesn't fall far from the tree,
so true, as Piper is really branching out in her skills,
benches from old doors...!

Perfect for the foyer or the porch,
just simple lil' benches to plop on or
to set a bouquet on...

LOVE these primitive mustard colors...
plain and simple, just think of the decorating possibilities!

lil' door...
SOLD

big door...
SOLD

All re-purposed in a sorta Junk Revival
with junk parts and pieces,
sweet lil' settings of your own making,
do we love what we do...
NUFF SAID...SOLD

Meet Brandon...a little farm humor...

My main man/bird...
he will be the cock of the rocks,
the barred rocks that is,
yes, Brandon is the name of one of my roosters,
determined by their growing combs...
sweet huh!

Always the first one out the door...

and the first one back in under the heat lamp...

Oh yeah, he does love the spa treatment...
and the lil' bird to his right is,
Louis the 17th, alas poor Louis will face the guillotine,
as two roosters is NOT HAPPENING...!

Brandon was named after one of my dearest friends
and partner in crime, my neighbor at Sisters' Garden...
we have adjoining rooms upstairs and share the
love of antiquing and all things strange...
so why not...right...?!

Brandon and his flock...
(beware friends, I have 4 hens to name)
(heehee)

Been a busy goil...

I have the cutest lil' country back porch, about an 8x12,
but it's been buried in boxes and stuff since I moved
back from Florida...

Enough is enough...
though this porch faces the 4-lane, it also gives the most
panoramic views of the sky when storms
are on the prowl...and a great sunny place
for a cup of java or an ice cold beer after a day's labor,
for medicinal purposes only...

Yet the old kitchen cupboard is filled AND ORGANIZED
with many of my candle supplies...
out of sight, out of mind!
For so many years this has been the catch all,
but when I couldn't walk through it anymore,
my decorator's drive was at it again!
It's been so cold...STILL...
that my walnut trees are still leafless,
so I work inside...sounds like a plan, huh!

I finally have that room with a view,
to tell me when the grass needs bailin'
and the crops need harvestin'...
or...just nuthin' at all!!!
Sigh...